:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72171735/1353913683.0.jpg "NBA playoffs 2023 bracket: Who are Hawks playing in first round of the playoffs?")
The first play-in game of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is in the books with the Atlanta Hawks (41-41) punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference's first round. The Hawks knocked off the Miami Heat 116-105 on the road thanks to a 25-point performance from Trae Young (8-18 shooting) and an 18-point scoring outing from Dejounte Murray (7-16 shooting).
For the second straight year, the Hawks advanced out of the play-in tournament to secure a berth in the main Eastern Conference field.
2023 NBA Playoffs bracket
The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics (57-25) await the Hawks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics swept the regular season series over Atlanta 3-0, although the matchups proved to be tightly contested with an average margin of victory of five points or less.
Boston and Atlanta have faced each other in the postseason 71 times with the most recent head-to-head coming in the East's first round in 2016. The then-fourth-seeded Hawks would go on to win the series 4-2 over the fifth-seeded Celtics.